Joshua Trees
 

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotdoubledot/1865484249/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2209/1865484249_c7e886b192_o.jpg" width="1024" height="681" alt="Joshua (Side Light) BW" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotdoubledot/1865379701/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2020/1865379701_0d286f4516_o.jpg" width="667" height="1024" alt="Joshua BW" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotdoubledot/1865943222/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/1865943222_feab0bac5b_o.jpg" width="1024" height="725" alt="Joshua Sunset" /></a>

Nice pics! Sorta Ansel Adams-ish...

Hey, are they cacti or hardwood trees?

Thanks. They're definitely not cacti. I think they're a form of Yucca.

One more:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotdoubledot/1979443914/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2032/1979443914_355cc1996b_b.jpg" width="1024" height="696" alt="Joshua Tree (Tonemapped)" /></a>

I need to get out and buy some new lenses...

Just need one, Tokina 12-24mm f/4.

:D

Amazing, especially that last one.

I like the last one the best, great colors! The high contrast in the second one hurts my eyes though, I'd like it if it were toned down a bit.

HDR on that last color one or just awesome lighting?

Wow - gorgeous shots! How are you converting to B&W? Just a straight desaturation or was it done in the channel mixer? If the latter, what settings did you use? Is that second shot in your first post an HDR and then B&W conversion, or is that just some really clever converting?

Please, reveal your secrets!

That last one was a single exposure, slightly tone-mapped using PhotoMatix.

IIRC, both the black and white images we're converted using OptikVerve. That last one is an HDR image using two exposures.